A Cut in the Bloodline
by Screaming With Your Mouth Shut
Summary: 14 years after third impact, NERV has changed and so has everyone along with it. Shinji wants nothing to do with it. Deciding to leave everything behind, Shinji ventures off in search for a new life. What he doesn't realize is the consequences of his actions have effected everybody back at NERV, and they will do anything to bring him back. [AU ooc ShinjixRei POV Darkfic]
1. The Facades of a Normal Existence part 1

**_Disclaimer: _****I do not own Evangelion in any way, shape, form, or size. One can only dream…****_right?_**

**_A/N: AU in every single way possible. I came up with this idea a sometime back while writing the first chapter for "Us Verses Them". In this story, I wanted to demonstrate how important of a character Shinji is. I wanted to write something about how things would be different in Tokyo-3 with the absence of Shinji. This will, most likely switch to become my main focus, so I'll work more on this fic. Like always, this will be an ShinjixRei fic. Please enjoy._**

**_A/N: _**_Beforehand, I would like to apologize for my English, it is my second language, I am Swedish and have been studying English for quite some time now, so bare with me._

**_There are a few things I would like to mention before you read this:_**

**_1). For the most part, I believe every character will be ooc in this fic._**

**_2). This story takes place 14 years after third impact. That means the children will be around 27/28, the others you can do the math._**

**_3). NERV is alive and well._**

**_4). Like all my other fics, this will be ShinjixRei, don't expect anything different._**

**A Cut in the Bloodline  
**

**Chapter 1: The Facades of a Normal Excistence**

* * *

"H-he... i-isn't coming back... is he..." the blue-haired girl said in between sobs.

The young brown haired scientist stood beside the genetic clone of herself, tears gliding down her cheek. All the once was proud mother could do was stare straight ahead at the walking figure, leaving through the doors of the giant underground complex.

"I don't know, I really don't..." the scientist said, not making any attempt to hide the hurt evident in her voice. It was as if her entire world had all come crashing down around her. For so long had she been waiting to be reunited with her son, now that had been taken away from her.

_Shinji... my son... what happened to you..._

_You've changed..._

* * *

_**14 years later...**  
_

_Gendo's POV:_

We are days away from celebrating the 20th anniversary of the creation of NERV. And there are massive preparations being held in that account. I laugh to myself silently. So much has changed over the years. For better, and for worse, and it has made me think. The old me never would of even thought about doing something like this. But like I said, things have changed. I have changed. After third impact and the rebirth of the human race, my wife, Yui Ikari, mentioned that it would be a good idea to start making changes in my life. 1) I gave up alcohol. Just the thought of alcohol is enough to make my stomach churn. Before third impact, I would always come home after work, and drown my sorrows with a bottle. I was miserable, and I never want to return to that state again. 2) I started eating healthier. Well, Yui more or less makes me eat healthier. And in turn, it has made me a lot happier. 3) Yui's been forcing me to visit the gym here in headquarters. She said something along the lines of dreaming that when she came out of Unit-01, that I would be some hunk with big arms and abs. Needless to say, she wasn't to impressed when she did come out. 4) I began repairing all the broken relationships I had previously damaged. Not all of them, but most. With the return of Noako Akagi, I was able to patch things up with her, sent her and her daughter on a three week all expenses paid trip to France. From what I've heard, they had enjoyed themselves as they rebuilt their bond. Ritsuko Akagi was another story. After battling with each other for sometime now, we came to an agreement. NERV would completely fund her next project into the Evangelion series. Fuyutsuki was fairly easy. I just had to prove to him that I had changed, and was no longer the "bastard king" as I was dubbed. Auska Soryhu was a bit of a challenge, but eventually saw an understanding between us. I would allow her to stay as a pilot, and give her exclusive ownership of Unit-02. And for Misato Katsuragi, although she is still pretty upset with everything that has gone down, I had recently promoted her. The pay raise and privileges were enough to keep her working with us.

Then there was Rei Ayanami. I think it is best if we left things the way they were. I ruined the life I gave her in every single aspect. I deeply regret it. But I cannot bring myself to like her, and I know she feels the same way about me. She reminds me too much of what I once was, a monster. I do feel sorry for her though. Because of my actions, she has been torn away from the only happiness shes ever had. My son. To this day, she still hasn't gotten over the lose of him. When he left, it had completely shattered her. Her entire life was a wreck. I know she not very liked around here, do to everyone knowing of her origins, yet another regret I bestowed upon her. Because of that, people tend to keep their distance from her.

Yui Ikari, my wife, the love of my life, the only motivation I have to keep going. She is the reason why I did all those things in the past. I missed her so much. But I've failed her. I've failed her in so many ways, I lost count. But she continues to stay with me. I can never bring myself to ask her, why she would ever think about staying with someone like me. Because, just like Rei, I have broken her too. It pains me more then anything to wake up to her crying over the bed, to see her so miserable in her office. She can't even be in the same room as Unit-01 without breaking down. She wanted to be reunited with her son so bad, and I took that away from her.

Shinji Ikari, my son. How I can never repair the damage I had done to him. I hurt him more then anybody else. I destroyed him, mind and soul. I know he will never forgive me for what I have done. In fact, I deserve everything he has coming for me. He left me. He left us. I am not angry at him for leaving me, as I left him, its only fair. But I can never forgive him for what he had done to everybody else. Yui Ikari, his mother, who longed so bad just to be with him, couldn't even look her in the eye. It broke her. Rei Ayanami, she was in love with him. He meant the world to her, and he just abandons her. It tore her apart. Misato Katsuragi, she took care of him when no one else would. She was like a second mother to him, and he doesn't even say goodbye to her. It killed her inside.

But I completely understand Shinji's motives. His life was a living hell, and he figured that the only way to escape it, was to run away. And so, he did. He left everything behind, to start a new life, perhaps a normal life. I am glad that he has found the strength to move on, and I can't help but hope that he has finally found something that makes him happy. I know that he will never be happy here, which is why I let him go. I haven't admitted it yet, but it pains me as well. Even through all the bad, at the end of the day, he was still my son. Its been over 14 years since I last heard from him. I don't know whether he is dead or alive. Its like he has completely forgotten about us. Not a single letter, or phone call. It hurt everybody. We have been trying to reach out to him. We have been since he left. His only requests were that he be left alone, and that everyone forget about him. But we didn't. We could never forget him. And so, we set to work right after he left, hoping to convince him to stay. But he got away. It had been 14 years, and still no sign of him. Like I said, for all we know, he could be dead.

We've tried every tactic in the book. We have sent section 2 personnel all over the world, to search for him. But as the years pass, hope starts running thin. But that's all we can do, hope. Hope that by some miracle, we find him. Its rubbing off on Yui as well. I believe she is loosing hope. But that still doesn't stop us from searching, even if it takes us a thousand years, we will find you, Shinji. This _has _become my new scenario. I will not fail Yui this time.

But this also leaves the question...

What happens when we find him? I've never actually put much thought into that. I would always assume that he would come back with us, and live happily. I know the old Shinji would of, but that's the thing. That was the old Shinji. Shinji has changed. How would the new Shinji react? That's what I fear. What if all this effort, is for nothing. The only thing I can think of that's worse then death, is rejection. What if he doesn't want to come back after all these years. How would this effect Yui? I can't even imagine what this would do to her. She still believes, even if its slowly declining, she still holds onto that glimmer of hope. That's her driving force.

I remember when Fuyutsuki passed away. It hurt everyone. Since third impact, he was looked up to as the 'grandfather' in a way. Yui saw this opportunity as a chance. She had the intelligence agency send her a list of all the Shinji Ikari's registered around the globe. She was getting desperate. Yui wasn't the type of person to use misfortune as a means of helping herself. But like everything, we were running out of options. That little glimmer of hope shot through her soul, this could be our chance she would tell me. She sent a letter containing the information of Kouzou Fuyutsuki's death, and funeral location to every entry on the list. Then the day of the funeral arrived. The atmosphere was full of ambition, and faith. But it was also one of sadness and loss. Shinji never came. Rei was quick to defend him, saying that the letter could of gotten lost in the mailing process, or that he never got it in time. But everyone else knew otherwise.

Quickly glancing over at my slumbering wife, I cannot help but feel a bit better. The love of my life has returned, though another lost, all was well. And with that final thought, I take my glasses off and rest my head onto the pillow. Sleep takes over quickly, and I soon find myself dreaming of a perfect world.

_Shinji... you've changed... please return to us..._

* * *

_Rei's POV:__  
_

The psychologist told me that i'm getting worse. I haven't heard good results in the past six months. He said these past two weeks have been the worse scores he had seen from me. I know why.

It's his birthday soon. It's a NERV holiday. Every year for the past 13 years, all the employees come together to celebrate our hero, and all he has done for us. I look forward to this day every year. It is the day I feel the most happy. And the day I feel the most sad. It serves as a painful reminder, that he is gone. Commander Ikari usually holds a big feast for everyone, in celebration of his birth. The atmosphere is lively, live classical music is always playing, his favorite. The food is something that would put 5-star chefs to shame. Everyone laughs, share stories, sings and dances throughout the night. Everyone is invited, but I don't usually go. I feel that I am not welcomed there. I always hear people talking about the celebration to other people. Nobody ever tells me about the big celebration. I take that as a hint, that I am not invited. It doesn't matter though, I wouldn't of gone anyway. I dislike social gathers. Instead, I lock myself in my apartment, lay on my bed, and remember all the memories we shared together, as I cry. I take out my three most cherished possessions that I own. The letter Shinji-kun wrote to me for an English assignment, the gold necklace that he gave to me for my birthday, and his SDAT player. Every night, before I go to bed, I would read the letter over and over to myself, put the plugs of the SDAT player in my ears, and clutch the necklace tightly to my chest. This is where I feel comfortable. This is where I feel safe. This is where nobody can hurt me.

Every night, I would dream that he will come back. I don't know why, but I know that he will. Others are starting to lose faith, but I keep pressing on. Its why I'm here now. I want to be here when he returns. NERV has no real use for me. I'm a reserve pilot. Pilot Suzahara, Pilot Aida, and Pilot Hokari have all joined since Shinji-kun left. Thus I have been replaced.

Since third impact, NERV has come together as a family. The pilots all treat Commander Ikari as a father figure. He has changed since third impact. But he is plagued by the guilt for what he had did to his son. His wife is back, and that makes him happy. Since then, he had abandoned me. We rarely ever speak anymore. I rarely speak with anybody anymore. I can't help but feel as if they had all left me out of the bond they share as a family. Maybe Pilot Sorhyu was right. Who would ever love a doll? Why would anybody let a doll, into something as special as a family. I don't deserve a family, because I am not special...

But Shinji-kun thinks that I am special.

Shinji-kun is the only one who has ever thought of me as another human being. I don't know what his feelings are towards me now, and perhaps it is best if I do not know. I don't know what I would do if he felt ill towards me. I would lose the only person I have. I Don't want him to think bad about me, I want him to like me. I want him to love me, as I love him.

A tear escapes my eye, and travels down my cheek and onto my pillow. This happens almost every night. I would just lay there and cry all my pain and frustration out, until there were no more tears left. Then I would fall asleep, and dream that he would return, and that I would be in his arms again. Only to wake up in disappointment.

_Shinji-kun... don't abandoned me again... please... please I beg you... please..._

* * *

_Misato's POV:_

Well, that was exhausting. We're just about to touch down at NERV headquarters. The past 36 hours have been nothing shorter then a living nightmare. Nothing went according to plan. It was only supposed to be a simple snatch'n'grab, but things got complicated along the way. There was a slight change in the teams layout. Because Hikari had passed Kensuke's sync ratio, she was able to move up that latter, and that kind of messed up the formation. As usual, Auska led the team. Her leadership abilities have improved drastically since she was given the task as team leader. Normally, I wouldn't doubt her actions, but after what happened back in Kyoko, well, lets just say she is in for a quite a bitching from me. We were able to retrieve the micro chip Commander Ikari had sent us to retrieve, but things got a little ugly along the way.

First, they were expecting us. Thanks to Auska's little scene she made near the entrance, the guards were immediately notified of our presents. A long drawn out gunfight later, we were forced to fall back, and formulate a new plan. Second, we were out gunned in every way. Sure, we were obviously better trained then the thugs they call 'guards', but they still left us at a disadvantage. Third, the last 4 hours were spent in a wild goose chase across the city. But thanks to Toji's quick thinking, we were able to corner the black sedan, and obtain the briefcase containing the chip, with relative ease and a few bullets.

So, now I am left with the task of cleaning up our mess. Good thing NERV's funds are virtually unlimited. Perhaps I will have to arrange some... 'accidents', to those for were unfortunate enough to witness the events. Not to mention the U.N. will be on my ass about this. I will have to start covering it up, before they stick their noses somewhere NERV dosen't want them to. I think I'll need a beer as soon as we touch down. Maybe I should make a mental note to keep refrigerated beer stored inside the helicopter after every mission. That way, at least I have something to look forward to after a long day.

Despite our ugly performance back in Kyoko, the Commander was notably pleased with out efforts. I guess he doesn't care about how the job is done, just as long as it's done. I don't really understand all the hype behind this one tiny computer chip, other then Ritsuko stating that she wanted a chip just like it. Maybe this time, she can make some actual _progress_ in the new Evangelion upgrades. Not like it would be relevant, for all we know, the angels may never come back. The Commander says that they will eventually return, and Ritsuko agrees. So I guess I have no choice but to put faith in their words... and pray to god they are incorrect.

I don't know if we could even stand against the angels again, it is said that they will continue arriving every 15 years. It's currently been 14 years. From what I heard, our current Evangelions will not be strong enough to go head-to-head with any newer angels. Hell, our Eva's took quite the beating during the last angel war. Then there's Unit-01. Ritsuko and the Commander are confident that Unit-01 alone, could fend off an entire angel attack. But that leaves us with a problem. Unit-01 will only activate for one person, and one person only. And as far as I know, he could be dead. Which is why we were sent to retrieve the micro chip. Ritsuko and Yui believe that power the chip holds, is enough to mimic the power Unit-01 possesses, and duplicate it into the other Eva's.

In context, the chip will be used to replace someone important, not only myself, but many people hold dear to their hearts, Shinji Ikari. He was the original pilot for Unit-01 during the angel wars, and the only one Unit-01 will respond too. At first, everybody believed that because Yui was trapped inside, that it would only sync with Shinji, but even after she had been freed, it still would only respond to Shinji.

I really do miss him though. Not because he can pilot, but because we have gotten pretty close over time. His sudden departure left everyone heart broken, including me. Even after his mother had returned, he still left. He didn't even say goodbye. Although a part of me is glad that he was able to escape this hell, another part of me wants him to come back. He just doesn't realize how important he is to everyone here. I can't help but wonder what kind of person he has become after all these years. I hope he hasn't changed too much.

But there is still hope. NERV hasn't stopped searching for him since he left. Family just isn't family without him. That's what the Commander, Yui, Ritsuko, myself, and everybody else want more then anything. To complete our family. But what would happen when we do find him. Nobody's even heard from him in 14 years. How do we know whether he is alive or dead. How do we know he will even return to us. What if he has changed so much, that we can't even recognize him anymore. I don't care, I just want my Shinji back. I want the son I wish I had back. I miss him so much.

Kaji was waiting for me at the exit. He and I have been married for 10 years now. Besides the rest of the NERV family, he is the only person who makes me happy. He is the only one who can take my mind off of the boy I miss the most. I love him more then anybody I know, and am glad I have him. Taking his hand, we made our way towards our car. I cannot wait to retire for the night, I'm honestly exhausted. But tomorrow will be another day, and that's all we have. Who knows what challenge it may bring us. As a promise I made to my former charge, I will always be ready to live another day, no matter the circumstances, as long as were together, nothing can stand in our way.

* * *

_**Somewhere in North America...**_

"Hey, why don't we stop here for the night." the younger looking agent suggested, pointing to the lit up motel sign. This caused an angry reaction out of his partner.

"You don't expect me to sleep in some filthy run down motel, don't ya new guy?" the older more experienced agent retorted, almost like he was being insulted.

There was an awkward silence that followed, until the older agent spoke up.

"You do know you work for NERV right? Money is _not _an issue."

The younger agent just nodded, and continued driving down the road.

This went on for another 30 minutes, until they arrived at a decent looking hotel, located in the heart of town. Both agents stepped out of the black SUV, and approached the front office to pay for their rooms. The older agent went about paying for their rooms, while the younger agent, took the time to observe the building. Placed on the wall beside the front doors hung a plaque. The younger agent made his way towards the plaque and began reading it.

The' Outback Hotel

Opened in 2025

Designed & Built by:

Ikari Drafting & Construction LTD.

"_Ikari._..?" the young agent thought to himself.

"Why does that name sound... familiar?" he said quietly to himself, not wanting to draw any attention to what he was doing. He made sure to make a mental note of the name, and research it once he got into his hotel room.

That's when the older looking agent made his way towards him.

"Room 229, second floor. Let's go, we've got a long day a head of us tomorrow." the older agent said, before turning around and making his way towards the elevator. The younger agent following close behind him.

Once both men got settled into their hotel room, the younger looking agent pulled out his laptop and made a quick google search of the company name "Ikari Drafting & Construction LTD". Luckily he was greeted with a website baring the same name. After going through a quick slide show of their work and projects, he was able to make it to the front page. There in big bold text said,

**Founded by Shinji Ikari in 2019.**

**For any questions please contact out office at:**

**(663) 543-9230**

**Or you can e-mail us at:**

**IkariConstruction **

A light bulb went off in the young agents head.

"Hey Thomas." the younger agent called out.

There was a long drawn out silence before the old man spoke.

"What is it Alex?" the older agent called out from the other room.

"Who did you say we were looking for again?" the younger agent called out again.

There was another long drawn out silence before the older agent spoke up.

"You really are an idiot aren't you. How could you have already forgotten, I told you like three hours ago. Jeez, rookies..." the older agent grumbled to himself, obviously unhappy with his partner. After getting nothing but silence in return, the older agent spoke up again.

"I'm only going to say this once more, if you want to make it to the big leagues, you're gonna need to-"

"Okay okay, I get it, just tell me the name." the young agent interrupted, ending the older agents rant.

Sighing out of frustration, the old man looked at the younger agent annoyingly.

"Shinji Ikari." he said in a defeated tone.

The younger looking agent gave his partner a weird look.

* * *

**A/N: Well, there you have it. I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter to my new fic. I will be focusing most of my efforts into this story. I'll have chapter 3 for "Us Verses Them" out shortly. I've also been meaning to try my hand at some one-shots, so expect a few from me soon. Of coarse, they will be ShinjixRei. If you haven't already, please checkout and possibly follow my new group, it's called "Everyone Deserves a little happiness, ShinjixRei pairings". You can find it on my profile obviously. Its a ShinjixRei group (incase you haven't figured it out by now), since all the other ones died out. I'll end up needing staff for the group soon, so ya. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the story, I been meaning to to write this for some time now. Thank you for reading, and stay tooned for the next chapter. Take care.**


	2. The Facades of a Normal Existence part 2

**_Disclaimer: _****I do not own Evangelion in any way, shape, form, or size. One can only dream…****_right?_**

**_A/N: AU in every single way possible. I came up with this idea a sometime back while writing the first chapter for "Us Verses Them". In this story, I wanted to demonstrate how important of a character Shinji is. I wanted to write something about how things would be different in Tokyo-3 with the absence of Shinji. This will, most likely switch to become my main focus, so I'll work more on this fic. Like always, this will be an ShinjixRei fic. Please enjoy._**

**_A/N: _**_Beforehand, I would like to apologize for my English, it is my second language, I am Swedish and have been studying English for quite some time now, so bare with me._

**_There are a few things I would like to mention before you read this:_**

**_1). For the most part, I believe every character will be ooc in this fic._**

**_2). This story takes place 14 years after third impact. That means the children will be around 27/28, the others you can do the math._**

**_3). NERV is alive and well._**

**_4). Like all my other fics, this will be ShinjixRei, don't expect anything different._**

**A Cut in the Bloodline**

**Chapter 2: The Facades of a Normal Existence part II**

* * *

"I am not a doll."

**_Smack_**

"SHUT YOUR MOUTH YOU LITTLE WIND-UP DOLL! ITS BECAUSE OF YOU THAT THE MISSION DIDNT GO AS PLANNED!"

**_Smack_**

"I am not a doll."

"YES YOU ARE. YOUR NOTHING BUT A DOLL. YOU ONLY DO AS YOUR TOLD AND... AND... AND..."

"I am _not _a doll."

**_Smash_**

"GRRRRR YOUR THE REASON HE LEFT US. ITS ALL YOUR FAULT!"

"N-no..."

"ALL YOU DO IS SCREW EVERYTHING UP. HE LEFT BECAUSE OF YOU!"

"N-no... h-he would not... leave...-"

**_Smack_**

"...because of me..."

"WHY CANT YOU JUST DIE! CANT YOU SEE NOBODY WANTS YOU! NOBODY CAN LOVE A USLESS DOLL!"

"I am not a doll."

"HOW COULD ANYONE LOVE A USLESS DOLL!"

"Shinji loves me..."

**_Crunch_**

"AHHHRRRRGGGG NOBODY LOVES YOU YOU USLESS FUCKING BLOW-UP DOLL! YOU HEAR ME? NOBODY!"

"Shinji... Loves me..."

**_Crack_**

"S-S-Shinji... l-loves...m-m-me..."

**_Slam_**

The furious redhead couldn't take much more, leaving the blue-haired girl to sob quietly to herself. Nobody attempted to help her make her way to the girls change room. Instead she was left to nurse her wounds from this week's beating. The bruisings all over her body may not be permanent, but the damage to her heart will last a life time.

Not for the first time in her life, Rei contemplated suicide.

* * *

_Shinji's POV:_

Now, where did I put those damn keys? Today diffidently wasn't going the way I planned. C'mon, I know I had to of put them somewhere. Uggghhh, I'm going to be late. That's the second time this week, Reika's not going to be happy. Remind me to buy her some ice cream on the way home, that usual lightens her mood.

There they are! What the hell were they doing behind the chair? Scratching the back of my head, I decided it wasn't relevant. I have a performance I need to attend. Quickly dashing out the front door, I get into my red Dodge Ram pickup, start the engine, and put my foot the floor spinning off towards the school. Lucky for me, we live in a small town, and traffic is never really an issue. Unlucky for me, we live in the mountainous outskirts of town, so it takes about 30 minutes to reach the school. It appears I only got 10 minutes to get there. Oh well, time to see what power this 6.4L puppy can put down.

Seconds to spare, now comes the horrendous task of finding a parking spot. Sure enough, there was one close to the entrance. Must be my lucky day. With that being said, I quickly locked up, and made my way into the school gymnasium, just as the dance performance started. Quietly, I sneak into the front row to my reserved seat. Reika's parts coming up, thankfully she didn't see me coming in late. I also learnt that the hard way. Once I was literally 3 minutes late. Lets just say, no amount of ice cream will ever live that moment down. Here comes her part. Just as she makes her way onto the stage, she takes sight of me and gently waves. I wave back. I'm so proud of her. Shes been working for butt off for this night, I've never seen anybody so determined in all of my life. She was right, she really was the star of the performance. Even the audience could agree, she stood out more from the rest of the dancers.

It wasn't till much later that the performance ended. I waited near the exit for Reika to finish changing. She made me agree on getting her ice cream again. What could I do, say no? She's got me by an invisible leash. After what felt like eons, she emerged from the change room. A smug grin graced on her face, I know that face... we're going to Peter's...

Peter's has probably, the _most _expensive ice cream in town. They have to import theirs from Europe, and it's all exotic flavors. I remember the first time I went to Peter's, 2 scoops and a waffle cone costed nearly 20 dollars. Mind you, it was good ice cream, just a little to expensive for my taste. Reika only discovered its existences only 4 months ago, something I silently curse myself to this day. For the amount of ice cream her and I go through, Peter's would drain my wallet in no time.

After choosing our flavors of ice cream, we walked to the till to pay for our desert. Reika went with two scoops of green apple cotton candy, I went with a scoop of mint-chocolate chip, and strawberry cheese cake. It's like this every time. Neither of us will get the same thing as last time, it's always different. Last time we went here, I decided to try out the bubble tea, and quadruple chocolate combo. Never again. Our total came up to 18 dollars and 67 cents, the same as always. Already, it was starting to melt, taking the first lick out of the bottom layer, I was greeted with the sweet taste of mint coating my tongue. A wave of ecstasy washed over me. Regardless of what its doing to your wallet, you cannot put a price on happiness.

Remembering that I had to make a quick trip to the office to grab something, I quickly gathered up Reika, and made my way towards the office. Taking my usual parking spot right in front of the building. Turning the engine off, I made my way towards the front doors of the office, until something caught my eye. Something I did _not _want to see. The last thing I wanted to see matter of fact. I rubbed my eyes, hoping that I was just seeing things, I prayed so bad that my mind was playing tricks, but they weren't. Something overcame me, something I haven't felt in a long time. Fear. Parked right across the street from my office, was a black SUV, sporting NERV logos all around. Inside were to Section-2 agents, one seemed to be on the phone, the other on a laptop. Speed walking towards the entrance, I started panicking. _Oh no... they've found me... fuck... fuck... fuck..._ My speed increase as I made it inside of the office building, hoping that they haven't noticed me. _FUCK! How did they find me. How did they find us. Shit..._ Realizing that Reika was still in the truck, I darted out the door towards the truck, got in, started the engine and gunned it as fast as I could go.

Reika spoke up after a few minutes, clearly noticing that there was something bothering me. Her voice was full of concern and worry.

"Something wrong?"

I frowned.

* * *

**_Somewhere in North America..._**

"Bingo!" the younger agent exclaimed.

"Yep, that's him, alright." the older agent followed, equally as enthusiastic as his partner.

They watched as their target hastily made his way back to his truck and drive off.

"Seems like he noticed us, did you see the look on his face?" the young agent asked, with a hint of concern.

"Who cares? Once we report this back to the Commander, we'll be heros!" the older agent said excitedly.

Hearing the old agent closing the laptop, he immediately reached over to his phone, flipped it open, and dialed headquarters. A smile beamed across the younger agents face, this was their chance to finally make a name within the Section 2 agency.

_Hello?_

"Yes, hello, this is agent-04852 reporting, requesting to speak with Commander Ikari."

_What is the meaning of such request?_

"We found him."

Silence, then...

_Right away, forwarding you to Commander Ikari's line, plesae stand by._

This was followed by more silence, then the voice of their boss, spoke through the receiver.

_Yes?_

Judging by the tone of his voice, he sounded annoyed. Normally, annoying the Commander was something to avoid at all times, luckily for us...

"We've located Shinji Ikari, sir."

_You have?! Excellent. You are to report back to me, immediately. I've sent a escort helicopter to come get you._

"Right away, sir."

And with that he hung up. The young agent looked towards him, he started smiling as well. The younger agent could tell by looking in the older agents eyes, they were both thinking the same thing.

_PAY RAISE!_

The older looking agents smile suddenly turned into a frown.

"The Commander is going to need proof of this, we don't have any, don't we?" the older agent sounded defeated.

The younger looking agents smile grew even wider. Pulling out his phone, he proceeded to show him the photos he had taken when he was 'pretending' to be talking into it. The older agents frown turned back into a grin. Starting the engine, they drove towards the rendezvous point where they were to be picked up and return to headquarters. As they sat, watching the VTOL land right in front of the vehicle, the experienced agent couldn't help but chuckle. Today had been a good day.

* * *

_Gendo's POV:_

Yes, indeed today has been a good day. Yui was in a good mood this morning. Waking up to the love of your life riding you like there's no tomorrow was definitely something I enjoyed. And now, I'm about to make her mood even better. Putting the phone back onto the charger, I made my way back into the bedroom, were my wife had been waiting for me to return. Opening the door, I was greet with the sight of a very naked Yui, wrapping herself up in a bed sheet, giving me a very annoyed look. I couldn't help but smile, after this, I was surely guaranteed round 2.

"Who was that?"

"Section-2."

This time her voice was of surprise.

"Oh? What did they want?"

"They called in regards of our son."

"Oh, I see... what did they find this time?"

With a large shit-eating grin, I walked over, sat down beside her, pulling her close.

"They've found him."

**_Slap_**

"DON'T JOKE ABOUT THAT, GENDO ROKUBUNGI!"

Holding the side of my face, a giant red mark faintly appeared were her hand had struck. This wasn't the reaction I was expecting. She was pissed. I knew Shinji is a touchy subject for her, maybe because after all these years of looking for him, she was starting to believe that they may never find him.

"I'm not, we are to report to NERV, section-2 will debrief us with there findings."

Her eyes were as wide as saucers. I couldn't help but look on with pride. Husband of the year award goes to... me!

"We still have time, Yui..."

Looking over at the clock, we still didn't have to report to NERV for a couple of hours, might as well make the use of it. Before I had a chance to say something else, I was tackled to the bed, with enough tongue to last me three life times.

_**2 Hours later...**_

"We're late."

Swiping my ID card, the large metal door hissed open, letting Yui go first, I proceeded to walk behind her. She's been anxious about what Section-2 would say. I'll admit, I am too. But I'm also curious to see how he has changed. I just hope that he didn't turn out like I did. I wouldn't hear the end of it. I still don't hear the end of it. The elevator dinged, bringing me out of my musings, stepping out and into our giant office, we were greeted with the beep of the intercom. Rushing over, I pressed the button to answer.

_Sir, the Section-2 agents you sent have arrived._

"Excellent, have them escorted to my office. Also, bring Dr. Akagi, and Sub-Commander Katsuragi here as well."

_Very well._

With that being said, the line went silent. Now we wait. Looking over at my wife, she had been sitting, occasionally fidgeting her hands, starring deep into space. Turning back towards my desk, I sighed, the seconds ticking by slower then normal. This would be the first time we've heard anything from our son in years. Looking over at her again, she was shaking. Frowning, I walked over to her, and place my arms around her. She slowly returned the embrace. Feeling her shivers and shakes come to halt, I let go and looked into her eyes.

"I'm sure he'll still be the same Shinji you and I both know."

Even as I heard those words escape from my mouth, I felt that I wasn't so sure myself. Crossing my fingers, I prepared for the worse.

_**25 Minutes later...**_

Dr. Akagi, and Sub-Commander Katsuragi entered the giant office. Behind them entered the two agents that had been summoned. Dr. Akagi didn't look to happy that she had been called so abruptly. The older looking agent walked up to my desk, and dropped a yellow tapped folder right in front of me. Inside the folder, were a collection of photos. I reached in, and grabbed one of the pictures.

I smirked as all the occupants of the room gasped. It diffidently was him, there was no mistaking that. He still looks relatively the same since we last saw him. Mind you 14 years older. Quite the build too. Seems like he kept in shape after all these years. Other then that and a little facial hair, he looks... the same...

The next few pictures were a surprise. Photographs of him walking into an office. The name of the office... _Ikari Drafting & Construction LTD? What the hell?_ I was shocked. _It was that easy? He named the bloody company after his last name, how the fuck did we not find this?_ Another thought came to me. Something didn't seem right. Why _didn't _we find this... we should of. We've ran multiple scans of the name "Ikari" in all directories. Not once did this company show up. Sub-Commander Katsuragi noticed this as well.

"Ikari Drafting & Construction? How come we haven't heard of this before?"

The younger looking agent was the first to speak up, opening his mouth, he explained his discovery.

"I noticed this too, his company apparently built the hotel we stayed at. I took the liberty of researching myself, and was shocked at my findings."

He stopped. The look on his face showed he was hesitant to explain the rest. I was getting inpatient. Gesturing with my hand, I signaled him to continue.

"Well its just that..."

He paused for a moment, then spoke up once more.

"The company has existed for... almost 10 years... sir..."

Grabbing the bridge of my nose, I sighed. This just keeps getting better and better. Not only has locating him been the biggest challenge NERV's faced, but hes been right under our noses this entire time. He clearly made zero effort to hide himself. Sighing again, I picked up one of the photos and just starred. All of this was giving me a massive headache.

Dr. Akagi held a dumbfound expression. That was incredibly rare for someone as unfazable as her. Needless to say, everyone was shocked. Overjoyed, but shocked. Reaching my hand back into the yellow envelope, I took out the two remaining photos. These two showed him getting into a pickup truck. I don't think anybody realized it at first, but there was someone else in the truck, sitting in the passenger seat. Girlfriend? Wife? No, this girl looked... young? Looking no older then thirteen. Eventually everyone else caught on as well. Something seem wrong here. A million questions flooded my head at once. Mainly who was she, and what was she doing there. I looked over to my side to see Yui equally as stunned as the rest of them. Now everyone was wondering who she was. Hoping that one of the agents may have an answer, I asked.

"Who's the girl in the truck with him?"

The younger looking agent looked up again. Just by the look on his face, I could tell that we were in for another surprise.

"We didn't know for sure either, so we sent the pictures to the lab to get them analyzed. We have just received the results an hour ago."

"Okay, now who is it?" Yui spoke, a slight tremble in her tone. She hadn't said much since we arrived at NERV. She had been to preoccupied with her thoughts about Shinji to even notice any conversation going around. But I could tell this question was eating away at her. She wanted to know more then anybody else in the room.

The younger agent looked at the older agent, then back at us.

"His daughter."

* * *

**A/N: Chapter 2 is here. I see that this fic has gained more reception then my previous fics, I thank you all for that. If you haven't already, and your a big ShinjixRei fan, then please checkout the group I've made. Its full of my personal favorite ShinjixRei fics, some you might enjoy. The next chapter is where the action starts happening. I've already established all the basic details I need. Everything else will build up as the story progresses. Chapter 4 of my other fic "Us verses Them" will be out next. I've gotten a couple private messages about my fic "Pursuit of Happiness", I haven't abandoned that fic, just having trouble in what I want to write for the next chapter, but in time, I'll have chapter 3 out for it asap! Back to the topic of this fic, the T rating will change in the next chapter to an M rating. As the summary states, this is a darkfic, as I plan on adding dark, adult oriented themes within the story. Anyways, thank you for reading, please review, favorite, follow, do whatever you want idgaf. Cheers.  
**


	3. Barriers and Boarders

**_Disclaimer: _****I do not own Evangelion in any way, shape, form, or size. One can only dream…****_right?_**

**_A/N: AU in every single way possible. I came up with this idea a sometime back while writing the first chapter for "Us Verses Them". In this story, I wanted to demonstrate how important of a character Shinji is. I wanted to write something about how things would be different in Tokyo-3 with the absence of Shinji. This will, most likely switch to become my main focus, so I'll work more on this fic. Like always, this will be an ShinjixRei fic. Please enjoy._**

**_A/N: _**_Beforehand, I would like to apologize for my English, it is my second language, I am Swedish and have been studying English for quite some time now, so bare with me._

**_There are a few things I would like to mention before you read this:_**

**_1). For the most part, I believe every character will be ooc in this fic._**

**_2). This story takes place 14 years after third impact. That means the children will be around 27/28, the others you can do the math._**

**_3). NERV is alive and well._**

**_4). Like all my other fics, this will be ShinjixRei, don't expect anything different._**

**A Cut in the Bloodline**

**Chapter 3: Barriers and Boarders**

* * *

_Yui's POV:_

**Darkness. And then...**

"Yui! Are you alright?"

_What happened? _I asked myself. Why was I lying on the floor. My eyes fluttered open. Gendo, Misato, and Ritsuko are all surrounding me, each wearing a worry expression. I can feel something soft under my head. It was Gendo's jacket. Did I pass out? I don't know. Last thing I remember, I was sitting down, looking at pictures of my long lost son, Shinji and his...

_DAUGHTER?!_

"Yui! Say something! Is everything alright?" Gendo exclaimed. I don't know what he's talking about. I think i'm okay. No... I'm not alright...

"I-I've been a grandmother... for... _all these years_... and... and he never bothered telling us?!"

I was hurt. I was torn between feeling proud or upset. I've always hoped I would be a grandmother in the future, and now, I am. But I've been a grandmother, all this time, and I never knew. It hurts. It really shows that he truly doesn't care about us. Why did he have to do this? Why does he hate us? I could feel tears coming. All I want is to meet my grand daughter, and to have my son back. Why is he keeping her away from us? Another thought crossed my mind. What if he's married. He didn't even invite his own parents to his wedding. I'm honestly crushed. Shinji... how could you do this to me? You've betrayed me...

I tried sitting up, only to be restrained by Misato and Gendo. I didn't resist. I couldn't find the strength to resist. This was all to much for me. All in one day, I discovered that my son is still alive, his whereabouts, and now that fact that i'm a grandmother. I don't even care anymore. I want to hold my son again, I want to meet my grand daughter. I'm not angry. Not anymore. I tried sitting back up again. Gendo's hand caressed my cheek, wiping away the few stray tears that remained. _I was crying? _I don't remember. Standing up, I slowly made my way back to my chair. Gendo gave me his arm to support me, but I insisted that I could go on my own.

I reached my seat and sat back down. I looked over sternly at the agents. I wanted some answers.

"W-what's her name?"

The older agent took a step forward, pulling out a small piece of paper, before throwing it on onto the desk in front of me. I quickly snatched up the paper and unfolded it. As I was unfolding it, the older agent spoke.

"Lab report confirms that she is registered under the name Reika A. Ikari, under the North American Citizen Directory."

_Reika..._ I repeated the name over and over to myself. It was a beautiful name. _My grand daughter... Reika Ikari... _I was liking the sound of that. I would of been satisfied with just that, but I had other questions that were nagging at me.

"How old is she?"

"Thirteen years of age, born December 13, 2016."

"And her mother?" I asked, a little curious.

"That information is currently unknown. And there are no records of your son ever marrying somebody."

A felted a little relieved. So my son isn't married. I don't think I could meet my son, grand daughter, and daughter-in-law all at once. That still leaves the question for my grand daughters mother, but that's besides the point. I was just glad that he had been found. Surely though, word is going to spread around NERV quickly. That, and he has a daughter. I wonder how everyone else will take it. No doubt Hikari will be happy for him, Auska will be jealous, Toji and Kensuke will tease him about it, and everyone else would just be happy that he's returned.

Misato made herself known for the first time since she arrived.

"How do we go about approaching him... I-I mean them... Reika... and... Shinji..."

Yeah, I wonder how. I don't think he would appreciate it if we just knocked on his door one day. Besides, he knows that we found him. For all we know, he could be making preparations to flee the country. Whatever we do, we must act fast. I don't think I could bare loosing my son and grand daughter again. But what can we do? I suppose the only option we _really _have is to meet him in person. Maybe he's changed. Maybe he doesn't hold a grudge against us anymore. Although the idea seem implausible, there was still hope.

"We will approach them ourselves. Face to face. There's no other way."

Misato seemed a little taken back at my forwardness. I guess she was expecting some sort of "tactical" plan on how we were going to get him to return to us. Though maybe effective, morally, it was the wrong choice, and if we want him to come back, I don't think duping him would be the way to go about.

"We will send four people over to North America."

Ritsuko seemed to catch onto what I was trying to say. After seeing her nod, she took a step forward, and spoke up.

"Yes, we shall have three people confront him, and have one as backup, providing intel."

"Exactly!" I practically cried. I was happy, I don't think I've ever smiled this wide in a while.

"Excellent. We will send Auska, Toji, Misato, and Ritsuko. Misato will provide intel, while the rest of you meet him." Gendo said, easily as enthusiastic as I was. I don't blame him. I turned towards Ristuko and Misato.

"That will be all. Misato, have Auska and Toji report here immediately. You are dismissed."

And with a salute, Misato practically darted out the door. Ristuko how ever lingered. Pulling out her clipboard, she tossed it on the desk in front of us.

"You know, this could make Reika a potential pilot for Unit-01."

* * *

_Shinji's POV:_

_What the hell was NERV doing here? _Was the question I furthermost asked myself. Surely they weren't here for sight seeing. No, they must have known I was here. Why else would they come to this small town. I choose this place to live for a reason. Maybe they're going town to town. Maybe they never noticed me. The agents didn't seem to notice. Maybe everything will be alright after all. I should stop worrying. If they knew I was here, they would of followed me, or come to my door by now. _Damn!_ I took all these extra precautions so Reika and I wouldn't have to deal with this shit. Now I feel as if I can't walk down my own driveway without looking over my shoulder ever five minutes. But NERV isn't stupid. I know that all to well. They would go through heavan and hell if it means, getting their precious Unit-01 working again. Seriously... _fuck _Unit-01!

Looking over at the clock, it's passed eleven o'clock. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow. I should go say goodnight to Reika then hit the sack myself. Winter will be here soon, and if we want to stay warm, cutting fire wood would be in our best interest. The snow can get pretty brutal around here at that time of year. Picking myself up off the couch, I headed up the stairs and into Reika's room, who was already asleep. After saying a quiet goodnight to her, I headed off into my own bedroom, to get some sleep. But sleep never came. The haunting memories of my past wouldn't leave me alone. The pain, the sadness, the loneliness. All washed over me like a big title wave. I tried so hard to forget my past in Tokyo-3, and for a while I did. Reika was my only source of happiness. Every time a memory of NERV, or EVA appeared, I would think of my little girl. But that wouldn't work anymore, not tonight. I feared the worst. What if they wanted Reika. What if they were looking for her. What if they wanted to put her through the horrors of piloting EVA like they did to me.

No. I wouldn't let that happened. She's all I have left in this world. I wouldn't let them take her away. I wouldn't even let her look at an EVA. I would rather fucking kill myself then let her be in the entry plug of one of those... things! It will not happened. No matter how bad Mother, Father, Ristuko, Misato, Auska want her to pilot for them, she wont. They would have to get through me first. And I promise, I wouldn't be so easy. I have to calm down. None of this was going to happened. I could be in a million places for all they know. Maybe it was just a coincidence that they ended up here. By morning, those Section-2 agents will leave and move onto the next town. I have absolutely nothing to be afraid of. So god help me, this will all blow over in a few days, and everything will return to normal.

At least that thought raised my spirits a bit. But I still can't seem to fall asleep. Maybe I should check up on Reika, you know... just to be sure...

I quickly flung the sheets off my body, and sped over to her bedroom. Slowly but gently opening it, I was relieved when I saw she was peacefully asleep. But her... bedroom window... was... open? Its pretty chilly out, why in the world would she have her window opened? The curtains blew out a little just enough for the moon to shine over Reika... There was... blood... _w-what the fuck..._ It's got to be a nose bleed. I prayed to god that it was a nose bleed. It was everywhere. All over her pillow, and sheets. She was... naked? Her clothes, ripped apart, scatter all over the floor. No... _what the fucks going on_... I rushed over to her bedside. She didn't appear to be breathing... _no... no... no... OH FUCK NO... _I started panicking. She was bloodied and bruised all over her body. The realization, the blood, the clothes... it was like she had been raped... I was ready to explode. Take everything out along with it. I didn't care. I didn't give a shit anymore. My little girl, my precious Reika... GONE! Fucking gone. The blood, it just kept pouring out. The sweat and dried seman covering her body. The open window, the cuts and bruises all over her arms and chest. The reality of it all. It all seemed so real, so messed up. So warped and twisted. Who would do such a thing to someone so Innocent as her. WHO?! I should of heard her screams. Why didn't I hear her screams. I should of, I was awake this whole time. _WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON! _The blood, the ripped clothes, the window. EVERYTHING. The blood, the ripped clothes. The blood, all the blood. She was smiling. At me? The blood. It looked like she had a few teeth missing. The smile, the blood. I felt something in my pocket. Whats this? Teeth? And why is there blood all over my hands...

"Daddy... why did you stop... it felt so... good..."

I shot upwards. I was drenched in sweat. I had a hard time trying to catch my breath. It was only a dream. _Thank god..._ it was only a dream. I sighed heavily in relief. Oh my god... it all felt so real. Maybe it was all this NERV business. But I've never had a dream that... fucked up. I glanced over at my alarm clock. 3:53am. I don't think I want to go back to sleep. Feeling the sudden urge to pee, I got up and walked over to the bathroom. After relieving myself, I decided it was a good time to make some coffee. But before I do that, I should check up on Reika, you know... just to be sure...

I opened her door slowly. _No... _It was all there. The blood, the ripped clothes, the cuts and bruises all over her arms and chest. The sweat and seman covering her. The open window. She was breathing. Curled up in a ball, crying profusely. I quickly rushed over to her side, that was when I felt it. The teeth in my pocket, the blood covering my hands, and even on my legs. The window blew the curtains, just enough to let the moonlight shine over her. She was starring at me. Tears streaming down her cheeks, and the look in her eyes... They looked hurt, betrayed, lonely. She reminded me of... myself... I couldn't believe my eyes. I couldn't believe I could do this. To my little girl, to my own daughter. Oh god, what kind of monster am I!? I want to die, I just wanted this all to end. How could I do this to my little Reika...

"Daddy... why did you stop... it felt so... good... is it... is it because i'm not human...?"

Human? Oh god, what the fuck is she talking about! How did this happened? Just then, the wind blew the curtains a second time. The moonlight shown over her once again. Something seemed different though. Something totally out of place. Leaving me, with only one question on my mind.

"R-Reika, w-why is your hair... b-blue?"

I shot up from my bed once again. The sunlight seeping through the curtains and into my eyes. I was covered in sweat and had the sudden urge to pee. I looked over at my alarm clock. It was 8:12am. I could hear the sound of Reika singing downstairs, accompanied by the smell of pancakes. _Jesus Christ THANK GOD! _What the hell were those dreams all about. I jumped up and went to the washroom to relieve myself, before flying downstairs and into the kitchen. I was greeted by the lovely sight of my daughter, still in her pajamas, with her hair tied back, and earbuds in her ears, holding a plate of pancakes. Not a single scrap, cut, or bruise present on her body. I walked over to her, and pulled her into a tight embrace that seem to catch her off guard. A little stunned at my action, she managed to stammer out.

"D-Dad... i-is everything alright? You've been acting strange lately..."

"I'm alright, I'm... just glad your okay..."

"If you say so... now if you don't mind, could you let go of me...?" she said followed by a faint giggle, she continued. "Unless you want burnt pancakes."

After everything that had happened, I let out out a slight chuckle myself, before reluctantly letting go. I was just glad my little girl was safe. But what did those dreams mean? Could they be telling me something? Deciding that it was only a dream, and nothing important, I walked over to the coffee machine, and began fixing myself a cup. That was when the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it!" Reika called. And in a flash of a second, Reika spun on her heals, and sped towards the door. I wasn't really paying to much attention, or even wondered who was at the door.

"Dad! There's people from... NERV here to speak to you?"

_Shit... _I couldn't believe it. They've found us. I wasn't prepared for this. I walked over to one of the kitchen drawers, reached under and produced a 9mm pistol. Tucking it into the waistband of my pants, I slowly shuffled towards the front door. There I was greeted with the sight of three overly joyed individuals. I recognized all three of them almost immediately. One redhead, a jock, and a fake blond. I turned towards Reika, who was standing beside me, puzzled. I didn't want them to take her away. I wouldn't allow it. I will put a bullet in each of their skulls if I have too. But neither of them did anything. It just turned into one big starring match. That is, until the redhead spoke up first._  
_

"It... it really is you..."

* * *

_Auska's POV:_

**8 Hours Earlier...**

So they... finally found him... they actually found him. And were on our way to meet him. I'm... actually nervous, glad, but nervous. I don't know what he will be like. All the hell he's been through, god knows if he's still the same gentle person I once knew. Somehow, I doubted that was the case. He also apparently has a daughter. Now, that was quite a shocker. I didn't quite believe it at first, but Commander Ikari doesn't lie. And I seen the photographs myself. I'm surprised, shes really pretty. And I'm _sure _that doesn't come from her fathers side. _Phleh! _I bet hes still the spineless wimp he was when he left. I bet he hasn't changed at all. He proved it when he ran away from NERV. Couldn't deal with the responsibilities of piloting the greatest weapon ever made, so he ran away. Now hes raising a daughter. I'm surprised he hasn't run away from her yet. He can raise a child but he can't pilot an EVA. Some father he is. Now I'm stuck with all these inferior pilots. At least Shinji gave me a challenge, mind you it wasn't a real _challenging _challenge.

But I'm glad that baka has been found. It's been getting real boring around here lately. I wonder if hes still as good of a cook as he was when he was in Tokyo-3. Not like my cooking is awful or anything. If all, its far from it. I am the great Auska Langley Sorhyu, of coarse everything I do is perfect. Even piloting EVA, and seeing as the angels will be returning soon, it would be nice to have an EVA that's actually capable of killing an angel. Not that I really care for Shinji returning, but having Unit-01 operational to assist me in killing the angels, would be in our best interest. Not like I need it or anything. Now that we have recovered the micro-chip, I'm sure my EVA will be completely capable of destroying the angels all on its own.

I stepped off of the treadmill, 47 minutes, not bad. Personally, I can go longer, but Misato wants us prepared and full operational in an hour. And if I'm going to meet the stupid baka and his daughter, I might as well use the time to make myself look good. _Heh_. What am I talking about. I look good regardless. Exciting the workout room and making my way into the main hallway towards the command center, I walked into the one person I hated more then anybody else in the world. _Rei..._

"Just where do you think you're going, doll?"

I noticed at me saying that, caused her pace to increase. Even avoiding eye contact. Now just who does she think she is, ignoring me like that, I'll show that _cunt. _

Before she could even pass me, I slammed her into the wall. Watching her wince in pain made me feel good. That _doll _deserves everything she has coming for her. I mean, she's an angel after all! She's the enemy! I don't even know why she's still at NERV. Nobody likes her and she isn't good for anything. Correction, she's a pretty good stress reliever, but that's it! HA! Judging from the cut marks and bruises on her arms and the blood stains covering her dirty shirt, it looks like she came back from one of Ritsuko's 'appointments'.

But she didn't retaliate. She never retaliated. Or else, she would get an even bigger beating. She knew her place. This one time, she defied Commander Ikari's orders, she got beaten so bad, they had to wake up a new clone. Ever since then, she's just let everyone hit her around. Like it doesn't bother her. But I can tell by the tears in her eyes, she thinks otherwise. But I don't care. Nobody cares. She's a clone. She can be replaced at anytime. She's useless, annoying, and unimportant. Realizing that I wasn't going to hit her furthermore, she picked herself off the ground, clutching her arm tightly to her chest, and began hastily walking away.

I let her leave. I didn't have time for a _thing _like her. I had somewhere I needed to be...

**Sometime later...**

Shinji lives here?!

The town was tiny! Empty! It was like a ghost town. This didn't seem right.

"Are you sure this is right place Misato?" I said into the inner-comm.

_This is where section-2 reported to of found him. _Misato's voice boomed over the speaker.

"If you say so..." Quite frankly, I was having a hard time believing that he would be here. Oh well, just got to trust command knows what they're doing.

_Please turn left in three-hundred meters, then continue straight for another fourteen-hundred meters, until you arrive at your destination._

Well, here we go, the home stretch. Lets just hope this wasn't all for nothing. I barely slept on the plane coming here, and I was beginning to get tired. If he doesn't agree to come with us, I might just strangle him. My thoughts were soon interrupted when we pulled up to a huge, log cabin house. It was impressive, like it had been just recently built. This is where Shinji lives? There are a number of trucks parked outside the house, but only one looked operational. The others seemed to have bits and pieces taken off of.

"Well, this is it. Everybody ready?"

This time it was Ritsuko's voice. She hadn't talked much since we left the airport. I guess she's as nervous as everyone else. Toji talked non-stop. Sometimes, he needs to learn when to shut the fuck up. And Misato stayed at the hotel. She said something about providing intel, and the fact that she wasn't ready to see him without causing a huge scene. We all stepped out of the SUV, and slowly began walking up the steps towards the door. For a couple seconds, we just stood there, each of us afraid to knock. Why is that? We are NERV after all, we shouldn't be afraid. Toji took the initiative, stepped forward, and with three simple knocks, we waited.

A young girl answered the door. She looked to be around 13 years old. She had her long, black hair tied back, and appeared to still be in her pajamas. In her hand, she had an mp3 player and earbuds, carelessly wrapped around each other. This must be his daughter. Obviously wanting to make a good first impression, I put on the biggest smile I could. I was about to introduce myself, when Ritsuko beat me to it.

"Hello there! My name is Ritsuko Akagi, and I'm from an organization called NERV. We are here to speak with your father."

The young girl regarded her strangely, before calling out for her father, not taking her eyes off of us. I could hear footsteps behind her. They were getting louder and louder. The moment of truth. It was him. He certainly had changed a bit. While still looking relatively the same, there were a few noticeable changes. One, he has a tattoo running up is right arm, and two... he has quite the build. _Damnit... he's gotten hotter since I last saw him! _I mean look at him! It's actually him! After 14 years... I was taken back. I couldn't think straight, yet alone, formulate a sentence. So I stammered out the only thing I could at the moment...

"It... it really is you..."

* * *

**Meanwhile, in an unknown location...**

Twelve figures were gathered around a large table, a giant projection screen playing in front of them. The screen was displaying countless documents and none-stop surveillance footage.

"So, it appears Ikari has led us right to him, just as we suspected." One of them spoke with a smirk.

"Yes, as it now stands, he may not be as useless as we thought." Another spoke.

"Everything is all going according to plan, as long as we have a pilot for Unit-01, all will go well." One said with utter confidence.

"Excellent, and with the angels returning soon, we shall soon achieve what we set out to do fourteen years ago."

"Good, prepare to have the new clones arrive at NERV as soon as the young Ikari does."

"Understood."

And with that being said, the figures began disappearing one-by-one, until only two remained.

"Let's just hope we can trust Ikari this time." The first one spoke.

"He will have no choice. We got him right where we want him." The second one spoke, before vanishing.

The lone figure remained silent.

"I hope for your sake, that you are correct, Kawrou."

* * *

**A/N: Boom! Chapter 3 is out, and alot earlier then I expected. I had a few free days off, so I immediately went to writing. In case you haven't realized, I genuinely dislike Auska, I think she's a bitch, so shes going to remain a bitch. The next chapter will be a short chapter entirely about Rei. It will be taking place around the exact same time as when Auska, Ritsuko, and Toji confront Shinji and Reika. That chapter will be out soon. After that I will finish writing chapter 3 for my other fic, "Pursuit of Happiness". I've been neglecting that fic for some time now, so its high time I get a chapter out for it. Then I'll have chapter 4 for "Us verses Them", will be out shortly after that. Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed this installment of "A Cut in the Bloodline". Thanks for reading! Cheers.**


	4. Speak For Yourself

**_Disclaimer: _****I do not own Evangelion in any way, shape, form, or size. One can only dream…****_right?_**

**_A/N: AU in every single way possible. I came up with this idea a sometime back while writing the first chapter for "Us Verses Them". In this story, I wanted to demonstrate how important of a character Shinji is. I wanted to write something about how things would be different in Tokyo-3 with the absence of Shinji. This will, most likely switch to become my main focus, so I'll work more on this fic. Like always, this will be an ShinjixRei fic. Please enjoy._**

**_A/N: _**_Beforehand, I would like to apologize for my English, it is my second language, I am Swedish and have been studying English for quite some time now, so bare with me._

**_There are a few things I would like to mention before you read this:_**

**_1). For the most part, I believe every character will be ooc in this fic._**

**_2). This story takes place 14 years after third impact. That means the children will be around 27/28, the others you can do the math._**

**_3). NERV is alive and well._**

**_4). Like all my other fics, this will be ShinjixRei, don't expect anything different._**

**_5). I've been reading about mental disorders recently, and it has piqued my interest. That, and the fact that I had a friend who had recently passed away who was a self-harmer. I felt like I owed it to myself to write about. Plus, it seems to fit the angst category quite perfectly._**

**_6). Haha NO. I'm not making this some emo bullshit sob story. I'm not going to barrage anyone with this 'poor me' crap, this is simply dwelling into some characters with mental conditions, not attention seekers. That's what middle school's for._**

**_7). I am in no way, shape, or form, condoning any of the actions told throughout the story. Self-harm is NOT the way to go. If you do harm yourself, please don't hesitate, talk to someone. Your life is just as important as anyone elses._**

**A Cut in the Bloodline**

**Chapter 4: Speak For yourself**

* * *

_Auska's POV:_**  
**

"It... it really is you..."

...

...

...

I stepped off of the scale, not wishing to see the haunting red digits flash in front of me. I couldn't, I could never muster the courage to do so. I tried. I tried _so_ hard! What the hell is wrong with me? It doesn't matter what I do, nothing seems to-

**Knock, Knock**

I stood frozen. _Oh god... how long was I in the bathroom for...?_

"Auska, are you done yet? We're leaving in 45 minutes."

_Oh... right..._ I completely forgot that Misato and I were sharing a room. I shuffled back towards my small pile of clothes. What stood before me, was a full body mirror. Why was it here? What good was it doing? I tried to cover it up with my towel, but it wouldn't completely get rid of the image it would project. The real me. No matter what, it was still there, starring at me as I starred back. I hated it.

"Okay! I'll be out in a second!" I yelled back to her.

_Fat. _That was all I could think of when I saw myself. The mirror showed otherwise, but I knew deep down, that I was hideous. I could spend hours arguing with myself, I had to be the best, I had to be on top. Not only did I have to be the best at piloting EVA, I had to be the best looking as well, I had to win, always. But no matter what, the eating disorder would win, everytime.

All those hours spent at the gym were only a mask, a shadow of my true self. I had to give myself the impression that I was doing this to improve my health. But when I looked at my reflection, a part of me couldn't help but point out the fact that my ribs were poking out of my chest, and my hip bones threatened to tare through my skin at any moment. The rational part of my mind screamed at me to stop, but I would never listen to it. I will never give in. I wanted to be beautiful, perfect in every way... even if that meant starving myself. _The real me..._

My mask always remained in place. I would lie to everyone. I ate very little, sometimes nothing at all. And when I did, I would purge it all out immediately. My body must hate me, I don't blame it. But I couldn't stand the feeling of food inside of me, no, I had to be pretty, no matter the cause. It hurt, I knew that this behavior was having repercussions on me. For one, I slept more then usual, I was dizzy and tired most of the day, and lacked strength to do even the most basic tasks. The others quickly noticed this, but I would always brush them off, saying that it was just exhaustion, I would plaster that fake smile I carry around with me while I lie between my teeth, telling them everything will be okay. Heh, sometimes, I even feeling like I'm lying to myself.

I sighed to myself, before zipping up the rest of my jacket. I turned to leave before some strange force stopped me. I had to. Absolutely had to. I spun on my knees, facing towards the mirror again. I couldn't help myself. Why am I so drawn to this? Is there something I'm forgetting...? Who am I trying to fool, myself or the mirror... Taking in a deep breath, I slowly moved towards the object in the corner of the room.

I'm pretty sure my violent coughing and hacking could be heard all throughout the hotel floor. I wonder if they would listen to me. I wonder if there's anyone around to stop me. It didn't matter. The toilet was my best friend, it was always there for me, even when there was nobody else to talk to. It understands me. _The real me... _After a while, I managed to control to myself, and the coughing soon subsided. It felt wonderful, truly wonderful to be perfect. But I wasn't satisfied yet. Taking in a deep breath, I slowly stuck my fingers back down my throat, triggering yet another waving of violent coughs and dry heaving. _Maybe if I stay like this a little while longer..._ grabbing a roll of toilet paper, I wiped up my face, and all along my mouth. This was amazing, what it truly must feel to be perfect. I couldn't help but paint a small smile across my lips. And with one last glance, I pulled the leaver on the toilet, not only flushing down yesterdays meal, but my regret along with it.

_You're way to thin..._

Then why am I still heavy?

* * *

"What are you guys going here..."

What? That doesn't sound like anything Shinji would say at all... Isn't he happy to see us? He looks so... blank... his tone of voice, one of fear and anger. What have we possibly done to him? It wasn't us that made him go through that nightmare. Even his daughter holds the same blank face as him. What, does it run in the family or something?

"What do you mean 'what are you guys doing here", where here for you of coarse." It was clear Ritsuko was the one to handle this... "Reunion"...

That was when Shinji's gun became known. The click of the hammer being pulled back was almost unmistakable. Now I kind of regret leaving my gun at the hotel room.

"Shinji, buddy, don't you remember us?!"

Of coarse he remembers us you idiot. I mentally face palmed. Why did we have to bring him along... He isn't going to do much good here is he.

"What do you want..."

I flinched at the tone of his voice. It was so hollow and... lifeless... I don't understand, did we do something particular to make him hate us? I then notice that he had a bit of a protective stance in front of his daughter. What the fuck does he think we're going to do, kidnap her?

"Uh ha ha... Shinji it's us... you're friends..."

Speak for yourself, Toji...

"You are not my friends... I barely even know you..."

Okay, now he's really starting to piss me off. Just who does he think he is? We came all the way over to see him, and he treats us like shit! You're lucky you're attractive or else I would have to take my foot to that pretty little face of yours.

"Shinji... this isn't like-"

"I'm not going to pilot for you, so you can forget it. Goodbye."

That was the last straw, I snapped.

"NOW LISTEN HERE!"

I even surprised myself there, I never realized I could reach octaves that high before. I digress...

"We flew half way across the world just to see you, there is no way in HELL that you are just going to blow us off like this..."

I took his silence as a reason to continue, at least something got through that head of his...

"...besides... why do you hate us so much... what did we ever do to you!"

All of this was starting to make my blood boil. I needed to calm down, I could already feel the dizziness start to hit me. I quickly found myself leaning against the railing. Man... why do I feel so tired all of a sudden?

"I want nothing to do with NERV. I made it perfectly clear that I-"

"That you what? Shinji, your mother has been absolutely heart broken since you left. There are still people who care about you back at NERV, people who want you back. We all came here, because we want you back. We don't _care _about the Evangelions anymore. It's history. Why wont you listen to us!"

It looked like Ritsuko was about to burst into tears, I've never seen her this emotional in quite along time. There was a long drawn out silence, as Ritsuko attempted to get a hold of herself.

"I'm sorry..."

Hehe, I guess old habits die hard don't they. Still apologizing for everything, hey?

"...but I'm not going with you... Goodbye."

"NO, Shinji, wait!"

But Ritsuko's desperate plea's weren't enough. By then he had already closed the door. As we descended down the steps and towards the SUV, I couldn't help but wonder why he held so much negativity towards us. I didn't know. The whole world felt like it was spinning to fast.

_This was a disaster._

* * *

_Misato's POV:_

_HE WHAT?!_

Just what the hell is going through this damn kids head? I thought he would be happy to see us, but he completely gave us the middle finger. I sighed in utter defeat. I should of went with them. Dammit why did I stay. I've been his guardian for a year, he would surely show something towards me. The way he acted towards Auska, Ritz, and Toji... _Shinji, what happened to you?_

_"We're going to be a little late. Some sort of accident or something happened on the highway."_

Sigh... "It's alright, It'll give me time to think of a new strategy."

Like hell we were going to leave him. We didn't worry for 14 years, take 2 air planes, and sleep in a cold hotel room for nothing. But it doesn't seem like he wants to return, or have anything to do with us. Part of me wants to leave him be and return back to Japan. But dammit, I deserve to happy to! I want him back just as much as the rest of us. Isolating his daughter like that, honestly Shinji... _Why are you doing this to me?_

_"Alright, we'll be there soon, Auska's not looking to well, could possibly be that she picked something up on the way here."_

Oh. So that's why the hotel bathroom smelt like vomit this morning.

"Understood, see you then."

**Click!**

Sigh... _What am I going to do?_

I glanced down at my phone, which was resting in my lap. Without even thinking, I snatched it up and dialed Kaji's number.

* * *

_Rei's POV:_

_'You have 24-hours to vacate your apartment.'_

I took one last look around my old apartment room. I couldn't believe it, I still couldn't believe it. This had been my home for most of my life. And now, I have to leave it all behind. The memories, the times I spent in here, when _he _came. Gone. The city had been planning on clearing this plot of land for quite some time now, it was only a matter of time till NERV gave them the approval. I didn't know how to react, I didn't know how to feel about the situation. It felt like the hole in my heart grew bigger. Did the commander really see me as worthless enough, that he could just toss me away with the flick of a pen? How much more shall I suffer? Will I ever find happiness again? I just didn't know anymore.

I closed my eyes. I had nothing left. Nothing, besides the clothes on my back, and the three most valuable items I held dear to my heart. Reaching into my jean pocket, I pulled out the gold necklace. I held it in my hand, starring down at the shiny gold charm at the end. I felt ashamed of myself. I actually thought about selling it. I needed the money. I needed to eat. But I couldn't sell it. I could _never_ bring myself to do such a thing. Not when its from Shinji-kun. It just meant to much to me. I figured I could survived without eating for a few days if that's what it took. The feeling of acceptance and love meant to much to me, I just couldn't abandon.

_...but in the end, he was the one who abandoned me..._

No, he will come back, I'm sure of it. And when he does, I'll be waiting, always.

_Always..._

_Always..._

_Always..._

That thought never failed to lift my spirits. Remaining my his side, it was all that I ever wanted. All I ever dreamt of. Whether I am able to have children or not is still questionable. But it was an idea I found myself leaning more and more towards. Spending many slow days and sleepless nights pondering. Yes, that was what I wanted. Something to prove mine and Ikari's love.

_But... what if he found somebody else? _

_Would he... betray me like that? _

_No..._ I found myself shaking my head. He told me I was special. That I meant alot to him. What about _that _night. I soon found myself blushing as I remembered the events that had happened... February 17th...

* * *

"S-so... uhhh w-what do you think...?" Shinji asked.

_I was honestly speechless._

"I-I... t-thank you..." I replied.

_I smiled that same smile I did for him, only for him..._

"H-here... t-turn around... I'll... I'll put it on for y-you..." He replied back.

_I did as instructed... Suddenly..._

"I-I-I c-can't s-s-seem to..." It sounded like he was choking on his words.

_I had this crazy idea..._

I began unbuttoning the top of my blouse.

"R-Rei! Y-you don't h-have t-to..." What was he getting so worked up about?

"Y-you... need to b-be able to... get to my neck... c-correct?"

_I finally realized..._

"Y-yeah... but..."

_I was as nervous as he was..._

I felt his hand brush up against the back of my neck.

_Something inside me snapped..._

I reached behind and grasped his hand as he locked the two ends of the necklace together.

I heard him gasp...

"R-Rei!"

_I felt... hot..._

"S-Shinji-kun... I-I..."

_I don't even remember how I found myself sitting on his lap..._

I looked into his eyes... It was then that I saw something new... Something had changed in him...

_His face kept inching towards mine..._

"Happy..." I heard him whisper, his face still drawing towards mine.

_Why did my heart stop...?_

"...Birthday..."

_Our lips lightly touched..._

"I love you." I blurted out. I remembered... I immediately started kicking myself for saying that out loud. I was to afraid to look him in the eye, so I had no idea how he reacted. But I knew one thing for sure... I meant what I said...

_I'll remain by your side... always... and forever..._

I opened my eyes, letting out a small, inaudible sigh, I turned towards the door.

* * *

**A/N: I Apologize for the late chapter. I had been pretty preoccupied this summer. Also, this chapter is a little shorter then usual, but I felt like I had to push something out anyways. If you haven't noticed, I've been wanting to take this fic into another direction. I hope I didn't go to over board with Auska having an eating disorder, and with Rei seemingly going out of character. Not like ooc really matters anymore. Fourteen years can do alot. But I'm on my way to shaping Rei into the character I want her to be for the remainder of the fic. I had to borrow a couple ideas from other fics, I haven't been thinking of many ideas lately. Anyways, has anyone seen 3.33? What a disaster. Completely put me off writing for a while, let alone the entire franchise as a whole. I was pretty disappointed, and judging by the pm's I've been receiving, I'm not the only one who thinks that aswell. Oh well, next chapter, expect some adult content. The rating will be changed from T to M. I will be dwelling more into everyone's 'dark' self soon, so look forward to that. Anyways, thanks for reading! Cheers!**


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